Giuliani cites Israel to evangelicals

October 22, 2007 9:00am

Rudy Giuliani cited his love for Israel and the Jewish roots of Christianity in appealing to evangelical Christians.

“What the community of faith understands is that Israel is one of our most faithful allies, but also that Israel is the birthplace for Jewish religion, the Christian religion, of our traditions,” the former New York mayor and front-runner for the Republican presidential candidacy said in a lengthy address Sunday to the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian umbrella. “It’s the birthplace of a religion that gave us the teachings of the Bible, that gave us the teachings of the prophets of old and the revelations of the word of God.”

Giuliani said the Palestinians must accept Israel’s right to exist and renounce terrorism as a condition for negotiations.

Giuliani, a moderate on social issues, faces obstacles in soliciting the evangelical vote. He told the group that he favored faith-based programs.

He did not retreat from his support for some legalized abortion, but said he favored increasing opportunities for adoption and that he admired the Supreme Court justices who have led the effort to roll back Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that enshrined a woman’s right to an abortion.